


it's a beautiful life

by allegrolines



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Domesticity, Family Feels, Feelings, Friendship, Getting Together, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Music feels, Taking Care Of A Child Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 14:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6911110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allegrolines/pseuds/allegrolines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jieun clings to Woohyun like a limpet, her little fingers clamped viciously tight around a handful of his hair. “Jieunie,” he says, biting down a wince. “Aren’t you gonna say hi to Howonie-oppa? He’s a friend of Namu-oppa, remember?”</p><p>“Hi,” Jieun says, barely glancing at Howon. She hides her face into the crook of Woohyun’s neck immediately afterwards.</p><p><i>Namu-oppa</i>, Howon mouths at Woohyun, because of course he’d focus on that one thing out of the whole exchange. The only reason Woohyun doesn’t roll his eyes at him is because Howon looks completely smitten, almost as if someone had smacked him in the face. “Good morning, Jieun-ah,” he says, stepping closer to them. “Did you have fun at the pool?”</p><p>That makes her turn to Howon at last, regarding him solemnly. Her forehead twists into a frown. “They didn't have turtles,” she says.</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's a beautiful life

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [InfiniteRarepairFicathon2016](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/InfiniteRarepairFicathon2016) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
> Woohyun’s brother shows up at his door with his nephew or niece and says there’s no one else to take care of him/her for a couple of weeks, here’s some money and stuff, have fun! Howon, his roommate, is more experienced with childcare and ends up helping, which is a plus for Woohyun in more ways than one.
> 
> \---
> 
> This definitely, _definitely_ went out of hand—the last couple of weeks have been kind of intense and emotional, both for real life and fannish reasons, and somehow this story caught all the feels. I took the freedom to stray from what you requested a tiny bit (Boohyun doesn’t just drop her daughter on Woohyun without previous notice), but other than that I tried my best to deliver those family feels :)
> 
> Thanks for the great prompt, I really hope you like it!

“Howon-ah, can I talk to you for a second?”

Howon stops on his way to the front door, craning his head to look at Woohyun over his shoulder. “Hey, why d’you sound so formal?” he says. He turns around and leans against the wall, eyes full of amusement. “You know you can always tell me whatever.”

Woohyun swallows down the first reply that comes to his mind. “I had coffee with Boohyun-hyung this morning,” he says. “He and Jiyoung-noona have been invited to a wedding next month—”

“That sounds nice.”

“—in San Francisco.”

“Oh,” Howon says. He tilts his face to the side, rubbing his knuckles under his jaw. “Isn’t that kind of rushed? I thought weddings were usually organized with more time to spare.”

“I thought so too, but I know nothing about wedding planning,” Woohyun replies. “Also, I didn’t really ask for more details. The point is, they were worried about taking Jieun with them, since it’s such a long flight and she doesn’t do well on planes. So I told hyung I can take care of her while they’re abroad. If that’s alright with you, of course.” 

“You mean she’d stay here? With us?”

“It’d only be for some days. Just a little over a week,” Woohyun keeps explaining. “Mom suggested that Jieun stayed with her and dad, but she’s going to be busy enough managing the restaurant by herself with Boohyun-hyung away, so. That’s basically it.”

Howon lights up. “Of course it’s alright,” he beams.

“Good,” Woohyun replies, taking his phone from his back pocket. “I’ll text hyung, then.”

“You know, that was really nice of you—Offering to look after Jieun, I mean,” Howon clarifies when Woohyun looks up at him again. “You’re helping your brother and sister-in-law, and your parents, too.” He smiles, soft and fond. “Always the doting son, eh?”

Woohyun glances away. He thinks about the pressure and stress of working on his Master’s degree. About coming back to an empty flat more often than not, now that Howon’s so busy at the record store; about feeling lonely and missing Howon, despite still sharing the apartment with him. He thinks about how he proposed watching over Jieun for his own selfish benefit—not only to help his family, but also to take his mind off all the things that have been worrying him lately. He forces himself to smile back. “Yeah,” he tells Howon. “I guess you’re right.”

 

\---

 

At twenty-five, Woohyun started working the graveyard shift at Because, a jazz club in Hongdae co-owned by Kim Sunggyu and Jang Dongwoo, playing the piano six evenings every week. Getting that job had not been Woohyun’s original intention, but the three of them knew each other from college, and Woohyun couldn’t really say no when both of them insisted that he take it. The pay and tips were nice enough, and so Woohyun finally gave in, even though he was wary of the outcome.

The beginning was rough, which wasn’t a surprise. Woohyun had blazed through his degree to the point he was completely burned out afterwards; he’d barely touched a piano in almost four years, and he wasn’t used to playing for public anymore. On top of that, he and Sunggyu kept butting heads over almost everything, from the song choices to some of Woohyun’s arrangements. However, after the first couple of months he found himself having fun onstage again, something he feared he’d forgotten how to do. The customers were forgiving of his initial stumbles, and soon enough Woohyun managed to find his own voice again, stiff fingers turning nimble the more he practiced, his wrists and forearms also regaining their lost strength and suppleness. It felt better than good—it was exhilarating.

At twenty-six, he met Lee Howon.

Dongwoo introduced them after Woohyun had mentioned wanting to move out of his old flat. Howon had been looking for a roommate to help him pay the rent, and they clicked really fast over drinks and hot pot, talking about their favorite movies and sports teams, old childhood dreams and memories of past summers. They started living together not even a week after that first meeting. One week turned into two, then three, and Woohyun settled into Howon’s apartment like he had always been there. 

Later, he found out that Howon was able to afford the place on his own—he only wanted to share the expenses to be able to send more money to his parents, so his mother wouldn’t have to keep working long hours. Woohyun felt that was a good summary of Howon as a person; he could be too hot-headed and stubborn for his own good, but he was also kind and caring, even if he wasn’t always good at putting those feelings into words.

Woohyun fell in love again with playing the piano sometime between working at Because and living with Howon. He even decided to go back to college for graduate school, just like he had planned when he was still a teenager. 

Now, at twenty-seven, he wonders at what point along the road he also fell in love with Howon.

 

\---

 

Jieun clings to Woohyun like a limpet, her little fingers clamped viciously tight around a handful of his hair. “Jieunie,” he says, biting down a wince. “Aren’t you gonna say hi to Howonie-oppa? He’s a friend of Namu-oppa, remember?”

“Hi,” Jieun says, barely glancing at Howon. She hides her face into the crook of Woohyun’s neck immediately afterwards.

 _Namu-oppa_ , Howon mouths at Woohyun, because of course he’d focus on that one thing out of the whole exchange. The only reason Woohyun doesn’t roll his eyes at him is because Howon looks completely smitten, almost as if someone had smacked him in the face. “Good morning, Jieun-ah,” he says, stepping closer to them. “Did you have fun at the pool?”

That makes her turn to Howon at last, regarding him solemnly. Her forehead twists into a frown. “They didn't have turtles,” she says.

Howon blinks, clearly confused by her answer. Woohyun takes pity on him. “We've talked about that, Jieunie,” he says gently, untangling her hand from his hair and lowering her to the floor. “Turtles can’t live in the pool. Do you know why?”

“The water isn’t salty,” she says. “And it’s not good for them.”

“It’s not,” Woohyun agrees. 

“Are we really going to see the sea turtles soon, Namu-oppa?”

“We are,” Woohyun says. “We’re going to the aquarium next Sunday. Today is Monday, so there’s only six days left. You can wait a little bit, right?”

She looks unconvinced, like six days might as well be six whole years. “I guess,” she replies.

“Whoa,” Howon says, looking eager to be included in the conversation. “You really like turtles a lot, Jieun-ah.”

“They are very pretty,” she says, blushing. “When I grow up I want to have one pet turtle—Three pet turtles.” Her eyes flicker to Woohyun. “Namu-oppa said I can’t keep one where he lives.”

“Well, I also live there,” Howon says. “Maybe we could get a turtle and not tell him about it.”

“That’s very silly,” Jieun replies, frowning again. Woohyun can barely keep himself from laughing when Howon’s ears go from normal to tomato-red in a matter of seconds. “Sea turtles can’t live in houses.”

“Ah, well,” Howon flounders. “I just meant—”

“Namu-oppa, Howonie-oppa knows _nothing_ about turtles,” Jieun complains, like she hasn’t seen anyone as hopeless before.

“Don’t talk over him, sweetheart,” Woohyun says, still trying to stay composed. “Thankfully for Howonie-oppa you’re staying with us for a while, right? That way you’ll have time to teach him everything he needs to know about turtles.”

“I can?” she asks, a huge grin blooming in her face when Woohyun nods. She turns to Howon next. “Howonie-oppa?”

Howon looks like he can’t believe his luck. He holds out his hand, smiling when she doesn’t hesitate to shake it. “Of course you can.”

 

\---

 

Woohyun wakes with a start, feeling disoriented for a moment until he remembers he never went to bed. His eyes refuse to focus no matter how much he blinks, but he can hear the soft pad of feet on the floor, and a few minutes later a warm hand squeezes his shoulder.

“Isn’t it too early for you to be reading that stuff?” Howon says. “Summer vacation isn’t over yet.”

There are notebooks and a French dictionary open on the table, Woohyun realizes, and his fingers are stained with highlighter ink. “I wasn’t studying,” he says. “I just wanted to check something.”

“Really,” Howon says mildly. He sits on the chair right next to Woohyun’s. “Hey, it’s fine. You don’t need to be nervous.”

“I’m about to start the second term of my second year,” Woohyun replies, gathering up his things into a neat little pile. “Of course I’m nervous.”

Howon touches his wrist. “You’ve done great so far,” he says. “Your final recital will be amazing.”

“I don’t really want to think about that yet. At least I’ve settled on a handful of composers for the program.” Woohyun presses the heel of his hands against his temples. “Finally.”

“Not the Romantics, I hope.”

“French Impressionists. Debussy, mostly.” He smiles. “I thought you’d appreciate it.”

“It’s not like I have a personal preference for them,” Howon says. “I’m not an expert or anything, I just think they suit you more. Their music has a sort of—ambiguous feeling? You really make it work for you.”

“You may be the only one who won’t give me hell for not playing Chopin anymore.” Woohyun manages to smile at him. “Thanks, Howon-ah.”

“Who cares about what other people say. Also, I’m sure your advisor will support your choice.”

“Well I hope so, because if she doesn’t I really don’t know what to play.” Woohyun grimaces. “Did I tell you the head of the piano department suggested Schubert? I don’t think I have the patience for that.”

Howon huffs. “You don’t even _like_ Schubert.”

“I _hate_ Schubert,” Woohyun says fervently. “But try explaining it to that man. Fuck, I’m glad I’m playing again, but I didn’t miss the snobbish side of college. At all.”

“That’s why you have all of us,” Howon says. “To keep you humble.”

“I know you’re trying to be clever right now— _trying_ to be, not succeeding—but the thing is. You do.” He shrugs. “Also—it’s easier to keep going forward knowing I have people who won’t let me fall down if I trip.”

“You’re being too serious again,” Howon tells him. 

“Sorry,” Woohyun replies, “it’s late. D’you want to eat anything?”

“Nah, I just want some tea before going to bed. My throat felt a bit sore earlier, and the last thing I need is to catch a cold in August.”

“Can you make some for me too?”

Howon smiles. “Yeah, of course.”

“How was your day?” Woohyun asks when they get to the kitchen. He’s so tired he keeps having to stifle yawn after yawn, but he doesn’t want to say goodnight to Howon yet.

“It went well, mostly. Too much red tape to deal with, but at least that part will be over soon.” He pours the herbal tea mix into two cups, adding an extra spoonful of honey to one of them. “Youngjun and Kwangsukie have taken a big share of the work, so it’s not like I’m doing all by myself.” Howon sighs. “I don’t even know why we thought it’d be a good idea to organize a series of weekly concerts at the store.”

“Well, you said you had the space—Wait I think I have your texts saved.” Woohyun taps at his phone, ignoring Howon’s groan of despair. “Ah yes, here it is—” he squints at the screen— “The first one was sent at 4:21 am, of course. _Baram, Feeldog and I’ve just made big plans for our business_ ,” he reads. “ _You’ll see, Woohyunie, you’ll love my idea too. We have the space already so how hard can it actually be_. And then you sent me a picture of Kwangsuk passed out on the floor.”

“It was a long night,” Howon says, handing Woohyun one of the mugs.

Woohyun cups his hands around it. “I’m sure it was,” he says dryly. “But for what it’s worth, I think organizing a mini hip hop festival at a record store specialized in hip hop music _is_ a good idea.”

Howon smirks. “I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he says. “As you know, it’s easier to keep going forward knowing I have people who—”

“Get out,” Woohyun cuts him off. 

Howon’s laughter fills up the two steps of empty space between them. “It’s not a joke that I appreciate your support, Woohyunie,” he says. “You know I really do. The timing could not’ve been worse, though. I really wanted to spend more time with Jieun and you.”

“Ah.” Woohyun can feel his mouth twist down at the corners. “Yeah, that would’ve been great.”

“The first show opens on Saturday, so I could go to the aquarium with you two on Sunday—” his voice falters a little. “I mean, if that’s fine with you.”

“You don’t need to ask me, Howon-ah,” Woohyun says. “I don’t want to speak for Jieun, but she was asking when she’d be able to talk to you about turtles again, so I’m pretty sure she’ll be happy to have you around, too.”

“Oh,” Howon says, perking up, “that’s great. How was your afternoon? Did she go to bed okay?”

“She did, she’s good at sleeping through the night,” he answers. He blows air over his tea. “Unlike her uncle.”

“Her uncle should know better, then.”

“He should,” Woohyun agrees. “Anyway, we had a nice day together. I took her to the park and a very nice grandmother let Jieun pet her labradoodle. There was kind of a critical moment while we were getting groceries and she said she wanted ice cream for dinner instead of actual food, but somehow I managed to solve the situation? I think?” He chuckles. “I don’t really know what I’m doing, Howonie. Luckily for me, Jieun’s a really sweet girl.”

“She’s a really special one, right? Hey, I’m sure you did well,” Howon says. “I saw you with her when we were having dinner with your family on new year’s eve, and also earlier today. You just need to relax. Did she forgive you for not getting her ice cream?”

“She did, but I don’t think I’ll forgive myself,” Woohyun admits.

Howon raises his eyebrows. “Was she that upset?”

“No, just terrifyingly unimpressed,” Woohyun says. “I think she could actually tell I was completely out of my depth, and that’s why she decided to relent. I’m way too soft for this, Howon-ah. I really hope I don’t mess everything up.”

“Nam Woohyun, defeated by a five-year old,” Howon intones, like he’s reading a headline aloud. “How the mighty have fallen.”

“I’m sure you have a lot of room to talk,” Woohyun says back. “Especially with the way your face fell when she called you silly.”

“Christ, don’t remind me,” Howon groans. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more embarrassed in my whole life.”

“Welcome to the rest of this week,” Woohyun says.

“I won’t make fun of you again—Not too much, at least.”

“Thank you.” Woohyun drinks the rest of his tea in silence, keeping an eye on the bob of Howon’s Adam’s apple while he does the same. “Anyway,” he says, “I’m off to bed. I guess you’ll still be asleep when we leave in the morning, so we’ll see you later.”

“Night, Woohyunie,” Howon says. He gestures at Woohyun’s books with his mug. “Leave those alone until Jieun’s back with her parents, okay? Even you deserve a break from all that French.”

“I don’t know,” Woohyun replies, picking up his things. “I've been told I have a really good mouth for French. It’d be a pity not to put it to good use.”

Howon chokes, breaking into a very satisfying coughing fit. “Fuck, _why_ —,” he wheezes. “You said that on purpose, you _asshole_.”

Woohyun grins sunnily. “Sweet dreams, Howonie.”

 

\---

 

The buzz of the TV coming from the living room when Woohyun gets up isn’t a surprise. Both his brother and sister-in-law had given him a heads-up regarding Jieun’s predilection for watching cartoons at seven in the morning, but even without it he’d still be able to recognize her soft giggles anywhere. What _is_ surprising is that she isn’t alone—Howon’s sitting at her left, staring ahead blearily and looking like he hasn’t slept a wink.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Woohyun tells Jieun, combing his fingers through her hair. “You’re up very early.”

“It’s okay, right? Are you angry, Namu-oppa?”

“Of course I’m not.” Woohyun kisses her head. “It’s fine, Jieunie. Do you know what you want for breakfast?”

“Toast with cheese, and strawberries, and soup like the one granny makes,” she says.

“Well, I better start cooking then.”

“Don’t I get called sweetheart, too?” Howon asks, low and rough, turning to look at him.

Woohyun knows his heart can’t actually skip a beat, but it feels like it has anyway. “You get something much better than that,” he says. His voice doesn’t shake, but it’s a close call. “I’m gonna make you coffee.”

Howon whimpers. “You’re an angel?”

“Not really, but good to know you think so highly of me,” Woohyun replies, almost at the same time that Jieun says, “Howonie-oppa, you aren’t paying attention.”

“Sorry, Jieun-ah, you’re right,” Howon says, rushing to focus on the TV screen again.

“Howonie-oppa didn’t know about Tayo,” she tells Woohyun.

Woohyun clicks his tongue. “What’re we going to do with Howonie-oppa?”

“I’m feeling kind of outnumbered here,” Howon says, giving Jieun his best pout. As soon as she’s is distracted he mouths _The cars talk to the people passing by_ at Woohyun, looking vaguely horrified. Woohyun grimaces in sympathy before leaving to get their food ready.

What Jieun called _soup like the one granny makes_ is actually light porridge. Woohyun chops a handful of mushrooms and gives them a quick stir fry in a pot, covers them with anchovy broth when they soften a bit, then lets everything simmer for a few minutes before he adds in the rice. Jieun trots into the kitchen just as he’s starting to toast some bread slices—leaving Howon dozing on the couch, Woohyun guesses—and asks him to hoist her onto the counter. 

She sits there, chattering about giant seahorses, of all the things, her short legs swinging back and forth. Woohyun can’t always follow her train of thought—she jumps from one topic to the next one, assuming he knows exactly what she’s talking about, then cuts short a tirade on what she’s going to do at the pool later to ask for a strawberry. He keeps listening to her, though, answering her questions and smiling when she laughs. 

Woohyun has memories of doing the same thing with his mom when he was little, running to the kitchen whenever he could smell she was cooking, and pleading her to let him help. She was rarely at home back then, but those were moments just for the two of them, stolen in between her shifts and his lessons, growing sparser when he started studying piano in earnest.

“Can you help me beat the eggs, Jieunie?” he asks, handing her a plastic bowl and a fork.

She pokes the yolks, and the yellow starts oozing into the whites. “What are these for, Namu-oppa?” she asks.

“We’re making a big omelette so Howon can have breakfast with us.”

She purses her mouth, swirling the fork around the bowl. “I like Howonie-oppa,” she says after a pause. “He doesn’t talk to me like I’m a baby. Mom’s friends do that sometimes,” she adds, lowering her voice like she’s telling him a huge secret.

“That’s because he knows you are a big girl already,” Woohyun replies, even though his throat goes tight and scratchy when he says so. He can remember how she felt when he held her for the first time, impossibly tiny in his arms, face red and wrinkled. It was so overwhelming he burst into tears, cradling her against his shoulder while Boohyun laughed and called him a crybaby.

“Are they okay now?” Jieun asks, snapping Woohyun out of his thoughts. She shows him the bowl.

Woohyun takes a look inside, noting how the egg whites and the yolks aren’t fully combined. “They are perfect,” he says. “Thanks, Jieunie. Can you go wake up Howonie-oppa while I finish making this?”

“Ye-es,” she replies, hopping off the counter.

Woohyun pours hot water in two mugs to make coffee, dishes the porridge and the omelette, puts a plate of halved strawberries on the table by Jieun’s seat. She comes back to the kitchen with Howon shuffling sleepily behind her; he flops down on the closest chair and squints at the food.

“Why are you even awake?” Woohyun asks, nudging one of cups closer to him. He also walks up to Jieun to fix her hair into a quick ponytail, just so it doesn’t get into her plate.

Howon downs half of the coffee in one go before turning to him. “I told you,” he says, shrugging when Woohyun just stares back at him. “Last night—I said I wanted to spend more time with you two.”

“Oh,” he says. Howon _did_ say that; it’s just that Woohyun wasn’t expecting him to do anything about it, with how frazzled he’s been lately. _Should’ve known better_ , he thinks, smiling to himself.

“Also you said you didn’t know what you were doing,” Howon points out before eating a bite of omelette. He hums happily when he finds the cheese inside. “So this is me,” he adds, “helping you out.”

“Yeah, sleeping on the couch was very helpful, Howon-ah.”

“ _Hey_ , I was _not_ sleeping,” Howon says without a bit of shame, even though Woohyun can see the tips of his ears start to turn red. “I was learning stuff about road safety. Right, Jieun-ah?”

“It’s important to follow the rules, Namu-oppa,” she says very seriously.

“I know, sweetheart,” he tells her, fully aware that he can’t win against both of them. “Wipe your mouth, okay?”

“So, what are your plans for today?” Howon asks, one piece of toast and a few more bites of egg later.

“Namu-oppa is taking me to the pool!” Jieun exclaims, bouncing on her seat. She stops all of a sudden and turns to Woohyun, staring at him with huge, hopeful eyes. “Are we seeing the turtles too?”

“Not yet, Jieunie,” he replies.

She slumps forward, her enthusiasm wilting like a flower without water. “Can I go watch Pororo now?” she asks.

Woohyun knows he should make her wait a little longer, but she’s eaten most of her porridge, two slices of bread, and an improbable amount of strawberries. “Okay,” he says, wincing when she scrambles for the door. “Remember we have to be ready to leave in half an hour,” he calls after her. Once she’s gone, he catches Howon looking at him with a curious expression on his face. “What?” Woohyun asks, feeling self-conscious. “I already told you I was too soft.” He picks up his mug and takes a long swallow of lukewarm coffee, avoiding Howon’s gaze.

“Actually, I was thinking you’re good with her,” he says softly. 

Heat rises to Woohyun’s cheeks. “Thank you.”

Howon clears his throat after a moment. “I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch later today,” he says. “The three of us together, I mean.”

“Aren’t you still busy?” Woohyun asks, surprised.

“Is that a no?” When Woohyun doesn’t answer he sighs, rubbing his forehead. “You asked me if it was alright to have Jieun over, right? And I said yes.” He frowns. “I didn’t mean it was fine as long as you did everything on your own.”

“That’s not—”

“I already knew I’d be busy this month back then, but I wasn’t expecting everything would happen literally in the same week.”

“Howon-ah,” Woohyun says, before Howon can go on. “I think it’s a good idea. Having lunch together, I mean. I’ll take Jieun to the park again after we’re done at the pool, so you should just—”

“Text you?”

“—text me whenever you’re ready, yeah. And we’ll meet up. For lunch.”

“For lunch,” Howon echoes. “The three of us.”

 _Why are you doing this?_ Woohyun wants to ask. He has the question poised at the very tip of the tongue, but then Jieun calls his name from the living room.

“Go,” Howon tells him. “I’ll clear everything up, don’t worry. Just—Don’t forget about later.”

There’s something weird about Howon’s voice, something about this conversation that feels different from the way they usually talk to each other. Woohyun doesn’t dwell on it—it’s not like he really can, not with Jieun waiting for him. He nods and gets up, murmuring a goodbye to Howon, and walks away without turning to look back.

 

\---

 

Over the next days Woohyun gives up completely on his own routine to follow Jieun’s. He gets up an hour earlier than usual, makes breakfast, then takes her to the pool. Every morning he stays on the stands with the rest of families—mothers and grandmothers, mostly—while a dozen of children from ages four to six paddle happily in the water. They usually go to the park afterwards, or walk along the river for a bit. Jieun asks him about the turtles daily, as if that will make the weekend come faster. She always looks a little disappointed when Woohyun tells her they can’t go to the aquarium yet, but she doesn’t really make a big fuss about it. They have short video calls with Boohyun and Jiyoung, and stop by Woohyun’s parents’ restaurant before rush hour. Woohyun loves having her around.

Still, Jieun has bouts of unexpected stubbornness. She only eats plain rice for lunch one day, much to Woohyun’s worry and despair. Then there’s a time where they go to the park again early in the afternoon and she spends almost two hours running around non stop, so by the time they get back home she’s unsurprisingly tired and cranky. But other than that, she is clever and curious and sweet, and seems to genuinely like staying with him. She gets upset a few times, but all in all they are just the kind of hiccups Woohyun was expecting from the start.

What he wasn’t expecting was to also have Howon around. However, he still drags himself out of bed every morning to watch cartoons with Jieun, even though he looks half-dead to the world, and insists the three of them keep meeting for lunch. Howon even comes home one day with a bag of books he checked out from the library—one of them is an illustrated guide to sea creatures, as Woohyun discovers later.

Instead of staying at the store until late at night, Howon gets back to the apartment just in time for dinner. Afterwards, he reads Jieun tales about puppies so big no one can see them, and the names of every different kind of sea turtle, over and over again, pointing at the pictures as he goes. Jieun makes all of them sit together on the couch, and more than once Woohyun ends up falling asleep on Howon’s shoulder, lulled by the steady pace of his voice.

It’s so domestic Woohyun feels like he’s going out of his mind.

Howon is trying to spend as much time as he can with Jieun—with _them_ , a little voice insists at the back of Woohyun’s mind—and Woohyun feels like he should confront him about how he’s running himself ragged. He doesn’t, though. As selfish as it is, after weeks of barely seeing Howon he just wants this little bit more of him—Howon’s easy banter over food and the reassuring press of his body in the evenings, the way his eyes come alive when he talks to Jieun. Woohyun basks in the warmth of Howon’s company and the contentment of having two of his favorite people in the world within his reach. It’s like his heart is caught in a fist, with the way it seems to ache in yearning, but if anything the pain is sweet, sweeter than anything he’s felt before.

 _I want this_ , Woohyun thinks, watching Howon peel and quarter an apple for Jieun. _I want every single bit of it_.

 

\---

 

The peace comes screeching to a halt when Woohyun gets a frantic phone call from Dongwoo on Friday at lunchtime. The piano tuner they usually employ at Because has cancelled their appointment at the very last minute—“Food poisoning,” Dongwoo babbles anxiously, almost like he’s on the verge of crying. “It’s not like it’s really her fault.”—and they really need someone else to check their baby grand. Apparently, that someone is going to be Woohyun.

“I’m so sorry, Nam-goon,” Dongwoo continues with the same quiver in his voice. “I know you’re taking care of Jieunie—Maybe you could bring her over? I promise I’ll keep an eye on her.” He stops speaking; Woohyun can hear someone else talking in the background—Sunggyu, most likely. “Ah, what should we do?” Dongwoo says, muffled by a sudden burst of static that makes Woohyun hiss. “Nam-goon? Woohyunie?”

“I can hear you, don’t worry.” Dongwoo is the kind of person who rarely asks others for favors, and Woohyun can’t—doesn’t want to—refuse. “I’ll be there in half an hour or so, if that’s alright?”

“Yes! You can just come in through the back door,” Dongwoo says. “Thank you, Nam-goon. Thank you, thank you—”

“It’s only gonna be a quick fix,” Woohyun interrupts him. “So make sure you get your actual tuner to get a good look at it whenever she can. I’m not an expert, after all.”

“I understand, I—” The line stutters again, then goes dead. 

“Everything okay?” Howon asks.

“Yeah, just a change of plans.” Woohyun’s phone screen lights up a moment later with a text from Dongwoo. He reads it, chewing on his bottom lip. “Jieunie, we have to leave in a bit,” he says.

“But you said we’d get ice cream after lunch,” she protests.

“I’m really sorry, sweetheart. My friend asked me to help him, do you understand why we need to go?”

“I don’t want to,” she says. Her chin wobbles. “I want to stay here with Howonie-oppa.”

Howon looks conflicted. “I’m also going back to work, Jieun-ah,” he tells her. “I’d like to stay longer with you too, but—What if you and Woohyunie come see me later?” He turns to Woohyun. “Would that be alright?”

“We can do that,” Woohyun replies. “Right, Jieunie?”

“You promise?” she asks, holding out her right pinkie towards him, her mouth set in a pout. 

Woohyun laces his own finger with hers, giving it a shake. “I promise,” he says.

They leave shortly afterwards. Woohyun drives them home first, so that he can grab the tools he needs, then takes them to Hongdae. He keeps taking peeks at Jieun in the rear-view mirror; she’s a little quieter than usual, but she doesn’t seem to be sad anymore, and even hums along the radio whenever they play a song that she likes. Woohyun manages to find a spot to park, not too far away from the club, and they walk around the block, up to the staff door. 

Dongwoo is on them as soon as they step in, throwing his arms around Woohyun’s neck and squeezing him, too tight to be comfortable. “You’re a lifesaver, Nam-goon,” he says.

Woohyun pats his back awkwardly, while Jieun clings to his other hand like she doesn’t trust him not to try to run away. “I can’t breathe, Dongwoo-yah,” he says when it becomes obvious Dongwoo isn’t letting him go. No one so small should have so much strength, Woohyun thinks. “Look, this is Jieun—Jieunie, this is Dongwoo-ssi.”

“Hello,” she whispers, hiding behind Woohyun’s legs. Jieun has always been on the shier side, especially when meeting new people, but it hits him just then, how she no longer acts like this with Howon.

“Hello, Jieun-yang,” Dongwoo coos, crouching down so his face is level with hers. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Jang Dongwoo. You can call me Dongwoo-oppa if you want.”

“Jieunie, can you stay with Dongwoo-oppa for a little bit? I’ll try to be as quick as I can.”

She looks up at him. “What do you have to do, Namu-oppa?”

“I’ll show you when I’m done,” he tells her. 

“Come with me, Jieun-yang,” Dongwoo says. “We’ll go say hi to Gyu-ssi.”

After a moment of hesitation Jieun untucks herself from Woohyun’s side and follows Dongwoo, though she still looks back at him a few times. Woohyun waves at her, waiting until they’re out of his sight to turn on his heel and walk towards the small stage, breath caught in his throat.

When Sunggyu and Dongwoo started running the club the piano was already there, standing in a corner of the main room, covered in a heavy fleece blanket. The baby grand is old and unassuming at first sight, and its brown lacquer has lost some of the shine over the years. But no matter how battered it might look—the sound is clear and pure, rich and nuanced. Woohyun sits down on the stool, slides his fingers over the keyboard. He has a digital piano at home, but it’s a pale shadow of the real thing. Even though he stopped working full-time at Because when he started grad school, he still still uses their baby grand several times a week to practice. He hasn’t been able to play as much as he’s used to while taking care of Jieun, though, and he itches to just go for it now.

Woohyun exhales, centering himself, then starts unpacking, lining up everything—tuning lever, felt strip, tuning fork—at hand. He wasn’t lying when he told Dongwoo he would just do a rough check on the piano, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be sloppy. He starts from the central La, flicking the tuning fork with his nail to get the right pitch, then adjusts the tones around it, until he’s satisfied with how the whole octave feels. Once that’s done he moves to the rest of the notes, tuning them to the ones he fixed first, playing quick arpeggiated intervals and chords to check that they sound as they should. Woohyun works methodically, not sparing any time or focus. One hour ticks by, then half another. Once he finally has most of the piano ready he plays bits of the pieces he’s preparing for his recital, stopping to do minute adjustments whenever he hears any of the tones waver. He’s almost done when Jieun comes in, walks up to him, and goes to sit on his lap; she presses one of the piano keys, frowning when it doesn’t sound.

Woohyun chuckles. “You need to use the weight of your whole arm—Like this.” He covers her hand with his, guiding it over the keyboard. This time the note rings like a bell, making Jieun giggle. “Were you tired of waiting, Jieunie?”

“You didn’t say you were playing the piano,” she says. “I like when you play.”

“I wasn’t playing until now, sweetheart,” he replies.

“Also Dongwoo-oppa was saying silly things.”

“I see,” Woohyun says. “Did you also meet Sunggyu-ssi?”

Jieun leans back against him. “Dongwoo-oppa introduced us, but he didn’t talk a lot.” She wrinkles her nose. “This piano isn’t very pretty. And it smells funny.”

“You think so?” he says. “I think it is pretty.”

“Why?”

“Well, I can tell you a story, if you want.”

“Like a tale? Now?” she asks, her voice full of excitement.

“Something like that,” he says, clearing his throat. “Before Sunggyu-hyung and Dongwoo-oppa got his place, it had been used as a music hall, many many years ago. They found the piano in this room when they were doing renovations.”

“They didn’t know it was there?”

“No, so it was a very big surprise for them,” Woohyun explains. “They called someone to come check it—”

“Was it you, Namu-oppa?” Jieun cuts in.

“It wasn’t me. But the person who came told them this piano was special.”

“Special? But it’s _old_.”

Woohyun laughs at how disgruntled she sounds. “It is,” he agrees, “but that’s part of the reason why it’s special. This place used to be very different; it was really dark and stuffy back then, and people were allowed to smoke inside. That’s the funny smell you mentioned. There used to be so much cigarette smoke the ceiling and the walls—even the curtains—were stained yellow.” 

“This is still yellow,” Jieun says, pointing at the keys.

“They couldn’t whiten them again without damaging the mechanism, so they had to decide between replacing the whole keyboard or leaving it as it was.” He rests his chin on top of her head. “I’m glad they didn’t touch it. It was kept in bad conditions for a really long time, and maybe it doesn’t look pretty, but both Sunggyu-hyung and Dongwoo-oppa have taken good care of it. It sounds very, _very_ beautiful.”

“Really?”

“It’s my favorite piano in the world,” Woohyun tells her.

Jieun twists her head, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Can you play something for me? Please?”

Woohyun smiles at her. He starts up the first notes of _La fille aux cheveux de lin_ even before he can really think about a piece in particular. It’s not exactly comfortable to play with Jieun still on his lap, but he knows the music by heart and it flows out as easily as anything. Jieun cuddles closer to him, turning her face against his chest and closing her eyes. Woohyun keeps playing; his hands remain sure and steady despite the helpless love and affection welling up in his chest. He wishes there was a way he could keep the piece from ending, just to stretch the moment a little longer—but then his fingers glide over the last two chords, bringing it to a close. He takes a shuddery breath.

“You were right, Namu-oppa,” Jieun says after a while. “This piano is very pretty.”

 

\---

 

The rest of their day is pretty mundane. He and Jieun pay a visit to Howon, bringing him a Melona and an iced mint tea. Woohyun doesn’t want them to be underfoot, with the opening of the hip hop festival just one day away, but they linger long enough for Kwangsuk and Youngjun to fawn over Jieun. Howon asks him about the baby grand, knowing very well just how important that piano is for Woohyun—his smile is sweet and small when Woohyun tells him about Jieun clinging to him while he played.

Howon stays at work past Jieun’s bedtime story that evening, but the upside is that the next day he doesn’t have to go back to the store until late in the afternoon. Since the pool is closed on Saturday, they stay in and videocall Boohyun and Jiyoung after breakfast. Woohyun and Howon fold their clean laundry while Jieun tells every detail of the weeks to her parents, bouncing on the couch. To Jiyoung’s credit, she seems truly happy to hear Jieun’s enthusiastic account of Woohyun playing the piano, but Woohyun can see how his brother falls silent, though he can’t tell whether Boohyun looks angry or troubled.

“Hyung—” he begins, but Boohyun shakes his head, his lips pressed in a thin, terse line. 

“Not now, Woohyun-ah,” he says curtly. 

Woohyun has to fight the urge to curl into himself, as if he were seven again and had just spilled soup all over his brother’s homework. He lowers his face, his hands closed into fists around a pair of purple socks. Jieun looks between him and the laptop screen, confusion written all over her little face. Thankfully, Jiyoung is as tactful as ever. She changes the subject, asking Jieun about her plans at the aquarium; it makes her liven up immediately. 

Howon’s knee bumps softly against his a moment later and Woohyun startles, glancing up at him. Howon shrugs— _it is what it is_ , he seems to be saying—then takes the socks out of Woohyun’s hands and folds them himself. The little point of contact where their knees are still touching is enough to give Woohyun the strength to focus back on whatever Boohyun’s saying. The call ends not long afterwards, and he can’t help a small sigh of relief when the Skype window goes blank.

“Do you want me to put these away?” Howon says, gesturing at their folded clothes. Woohyun has lived with him long enough to know Howon wants to ask about what’s going on with Boohyun, but won’t say a word about it as long as Jieun is around.

Woohyun reaches out, touching his forearm. “If you don’t mind?”

“Of course not.” He smiles. “Why don’t we go for a walk afterwards? The weather doesn’t look too muggy today.”

Howon is right—the sky is clear and blue, a breeze blows from the west, carrying some of the freshness of the sea, and leaving the apartment sounds like the best idea. After they get changed Woohyun brushes Jieun’s hair into two pigtails and rubs extra sunscreen on her face and arms. He also smears a glob of it on the bridge of Howon’s nose, laughing when he goes cross-eyed trying to look at it before he wipes it off with a flick of his fingers.

Instead of taking the car they end up wandering around the neighborhood. Jieun walks between the two of them, holding onto both of their hands. Boohyun’s harsh voice still lingers at the back of Woohyun’s mind, but it’s easy enough not to think about it when Jieun is in a good mood, bright and happy, and Howon keeps smiling at her like she’s the best thing he’s ever seen. 

Woohyun almost has a heart attack when Jieun slips from their grasp and takes off suddenly, running ahead before he can react and stop her. He and Howon follow her through the late-morning crowd, calling her name while they dodge other families and people walking their dogs. In the end is Howon who gets to Jieun first, catching up to her while she’s standing in front of a merry-go-round with eyes as big as saucers. That’s what got her attention in the first place, Woohyun realizes. 

It’s the first time since Woohyun picked Jieun up the previous Monday that he’s had to truly scold her. He can hear himself shaking, a mix of being still a little short of breath and the panic of seeing her get away from them. Jieun looks abashed, at least; she doesn’t cry, but she ducks her head and the corners of her mouth tremble. She clenches her fingers on the blue fabric of her dress. 

However, once Woohyun stops speaking Jieun looks up at him again, and even though her voice is small and tentative she asks, “Can I go on the carousel, Namu-oppa?”

He can’t help the surge of pride that bloom in his belly despite everything—this is his brave, stubborn girl, after all. But at the same time, he just wants to go and bash his head against a wall. “No, Jieunie,” Woohyun says. “We’re going to sit down for a bit, and eat something together, and then we’ll go back home. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” she says meekly.

When Howon goes to buy them lunch Woohyun accompanies Jieun to the restroom, asking the woman waiting in line before them to keep an eye on her while he waits outside. He’s still there by the time Howon gets back, carrying their food in a brown paper bag.

“Hey,” Howon says, stopping by his side and elbowing him lightly. “Are you okay?”

Woohyun opens his mouth, closes it. He swallows. “Was I—?” He doesn't even know how to continue. _Too harsh? Too soft?_

“I don’t think there’s a manual for this,” Howon says weakly, sounding exhausted. Woohyun looks at him, noticing how shaken he looks, how his face is paler than usual. It doesn’t come as a surprise—Howon cares for Jieun, has always treated her with nothing but the utmost gentleness, softening both his words and gestures around her. “When she just ran away all of a sudden I just—” his voice falters. “I thought my heart was going to stop right there.”

Woohyun steps a little closer to him. He wants to put his arms around Howon and hold onto him. He wants to rest his head on Howon’s shoulder, knowing Howon will always be able to take his weight. He wants to kiss Howon, most of all. “It’s alright,” he says, not doing any of those things. “You caught her, nothing bad happened. Everything is fine.”

“Woohyunie,” Howon says, a sigh of a word, leaning into Woohyun’s space as far as possible without being inappropriate. The moment only lasts for a handful of seconds, then he takes a deep breath and backs away, straightening his spine. “Anyway, I bought a little bit of everything,” he says, holding the bag out for Woohyun to see. He looks almost completely composed again. “There’s tteokbokki and fried rice and some other stuff.”

“You got sausages,” Woohyun says, looking inside.

“Yes? How’s that a problem? You like sausages.”

“I didn’t say it was a problem.”

“You made a face when you saw them.”

Woohyun snorts. “That’s not—Why would I make a face at them?”

Howon shrugs. “I’m telling you, you didn’t look so happy.” He cocks his head to the side, his mouth tilting into a mischievous smirk that promises no good. “You don’t wanna eat my sausages, Woohyunie?”

Even though Woohyun was expecting something like that he still chokes on nothing, his face growing redder and hotter when some of the people around them look at him. “Fuck you,” he coughs.

“Revenge is so sweet, isn’t it?”

Woohyun sneezes, his eyes watering. “Now who’s being an _asshole_?”

“Don’t swear in front of the children.”

“Give me a break, you’re the one who—”

“Namu-oppa? Are you and Howonie-oppa fighting?”

Both he and Howon turn at the same time. “Jieunie,” Woohyun breathes, dismayed. 

Howon drops his shit-eating grin on the spot. He bows to the woman who looked after Jieun while she was in the restroom, thanking her profusely. Afterwards, he exchanges a glance with Woohyun, who can tell Howon is as embarrassed as he feels.

“So,” Howon says, trying to sound normal. “Sausages?”

 

\---

 

Woohyun’s sleep patterns have been off kilter for years, and they always get worse whenever he’s under stress. He usually stays up reading or listening to music if he can’t doze off, the kind of things he doesn’t have that much time for while he’s busy with work and college. Sometimes, though, the antsiness gets the best of him, to the point where he just _needs_ to do something with his hands, quite literally. On nights like those, Woohyun plugs his headphones on the digital piano, and plays.

There’s something particularly lovely about playing Mozart when it’s dark outside and the apartment is still and silent. Jieun is sleeping in her room—it’s been awhile since Woohyun tucked her in. Howon hasn’t got home yet. Woohyun plays passage after passage, letting his mind go blank, only focussing on the score. Mozart’s music is all clean, simple lines, with nowhere to hide if he stumbles or makes a mistake. It’s not Woohyun’s speciality, but he loves how it feels like a breath of cold air on a winter morning, crisp and clear. He doesn’t play Mozart as much as he used to, but he enjoys giving his works a go from time to time; unlike other composers that he avoids completely.

At some point halfway through the Coronation Concerto the lights of the hallway get switched on, and Howon appears on the doorway barely two measures later. Woohyun is aware of his presence, but doesn’t stop playing until he finishes the second movement, fingers light on the keys. Afterwards, he takes off his earplugs and stretches—it might be a trick of the lighting but it looks like Howon’s eyes follow the way he moves, sliding from his wrists down to his chest. 

Woohyun drops his arms. “You’re back early,” he says.

“I’m not early,” Howon replies. “It’s 3 am, Woohyunie.”

“Ah.” He fidgets with the settings of the piano, then turns it off. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention to the time.”

“It was an intense day, after all. Lots of up and downs.”

“It was.” Woohyun brushes the hair off his face. “I really can’t thank you enough for catching Jieun when she ran off earlier.”

Howon walks closer, finally. Woohyun scoots over so they can sit side by side on the bench; it’s a tight fit, but they manage to make it work.

“What’s going on with Boohyun-hyung?” Howon asks. “Are you two—?”

“We aren’t fighting,” Woohyun says. “It’s not—It’s nothing new, to be honest. My brother—” he hesitates. “He wasn’t happy when I decided to go back to playing the piano. I mean—I guess I never really stopped, but—He thought I was being unreasonable.” Woohyun leans against Howon, lets his head rest on Howon’s shoulder. “I can’t really blame him. Boohyun-hyung—He just worries. He’s seen the ugly side of pursuing a career in music pretty up close, after all. I really was a mess after I finished my degree, Howonie.”

“Does he think it’ll happen again?”

“Yeah,” Woohyun sighs. “It could happen again, you know? And I already got burned once.”

“It won’t,” Howon says, and his vehemence surprises Woohyun. “You told me, remember? You have people by your side that won’t let you fall down.” He squeezes Woohyun’s thigh, so tight it borders on painful. “You aren’t alone now.”

“I just want to do this,” Woohyun says, choking up. “It was my passion as a kid, but after the Chopin Competition—Nothing was the same, afterwards.”

“Didn’t you win it, though?”

Woohyun chuckles softly. “What lies has Youngjun told you?” he says. “I got the second place.”

“He told me you’d recorded a CD. He says he has a signed copy of it.”

“He does, and I wish he’d throw it away.”

“Hey, it can’t be that bad,” Howon says. “After all you almost won some kind of big deal piano thing.”

 _Some kind of big deal piano thing_ , Woohyun echoes in his mind, fighting the urge to laugh, or maybe burst into tears. The _almost won_ doesn’t hurt anymore, though. “I tried listening to it, a few years ago, but I couldn’t,” he confesses. “It was like listening to a complete stranger, it creeped me out.”

Howon doesn’t say anything for a bit. “But now you’re fine?” he asks, then. “Playing, I mean.”

“I don’t feel comfortable playing Chopin anymore, as you know. Even though some professors and classmates still recognize me because of the competition. But yeah, I’m fine.” 

“I’m glad,” Howon says. “You always look so—You look happy, when you play.”

Woohyun doesn’t miss his stutter. “I look so?” He raises his head and looks at Howon. “How do I look, Howon-ah?”

Howon stares back at him. Woohyun thinks he won’t answer, or will just deflect the question with a joke, but then—

“You look really, _really_ good, Woohyunie,” he says, and the most devastating thing is not only that he means it, but also how _shy_ he sounds.

Woohyun’s never doubted that he loves Howon; he has wondered many times if his feelings were born purely from habit and familiarity, though. Would have he fallen for Howon, if they had not been living together to begin with? Would his affection run so deep, if he didn’t see Howon every day? In the end, doesn’t Howon deserve much more than _maybe_ s and _what if_ s?

Howon does and will always deserve the world, Woohyun thinks. But then again, one year is a long time to be in love with someone and not do anything about it.

Woohyun tips forward, and kisses him.

He means for the kiss to be brief and soft; instead, Howon takes his face between his hands and chases after his mouth when Woohyun tries to pull away. It’s desperate, inelegant, and so good Woohyun groans against Howon’s lips, opening his mouth up for him. Howon twists on himself, gets on his feet, then presses one knee on the stool, right next to Woohyun’s thigh. He uses the leverage to tilt Woohyun’s head back and come down on his mouth in a flurry of hard, demanding kisses. He sucks on Woohyun’s tongue, tugs at his bottom lip with his teeth. He cradles Woohyun’s jaw carefully though, with a gentleness at odds with the unrelenting push and pull of his kisses. Woohyun gets his hands under Howon’s shirt and clings to his sides.

“You are so—” Howon whispers, nipping Woohyun’s lips. He slides his nose up against Woohyun’s and kisses his right eyelid.

“Howonie,” Woohyun breathes back.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure, I wasn’t—”

Woohyun leans away. “What’re you even babbling about?”

“You’re just unexpectedly hard to read, sometimes.”

“Even for you?” Woohyun says. His lips tingle when he speaks, puffy and tender with kisses.

Howon shakes his head. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just making excuses.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Do you—? Can you stay with me tonight?”

“You’re inviting me to your room? Right away?” He attempts to smirk, but it probably comes out too wide and awed. “You move _fast_.”

“To _sleep_ , Woohyunie,” Howon says. “Or have you forgotten what day is tomorrow?”

He hasn't, but the reminder does a lot to sober him up. “As if I could,” Woohyun replies. “C’mon,” he sighs. “Take me to bed, Howon-ah.”

Unsurprisingly, Howon’s pillow smell like their detergent and Howon’s shampoo. Woohyun buries his face into it, inhaling deeply, and goes loose and pliant in a matter of seconds. It feels like he’s already dreaming; everything around him comes filtered through a thick layer of drowsiness, and he’s only distantly aware of Howon’s hands on him, taking off his shorts and shirt, caressing his face. Woohyun fights to stay awake for a little while longer.

“Wait,” he says—or slurs, in fact, barely coherent enough to speak. “The opening of the festival—I didn’t ask how—”

“Let’s talk about it later, Hyunnie,” Howon murmurs, blanketing Woohyun with his body. If he says anything else, Woohyun can’t hear it anymore.

The loud bang of the bedroom door wakes him up, what feels like five minutes after they finally went to bed. The clock on Howon’s bedside table shows that he’s slept for not even three full hours—it’s only twenty past six, which is mercilessly early, even for Jieun’s standards. At his side, Howon mutters something indistinct and rolls over, taking most of the sheets with him.

“Namu-oppa, good morning!” Jieun screams, jumping onto the bed. Woohyun spares a moment to feel grateful that they kept their underwear on, and then gets the wind knocked out of him when Jieun lands on his belly after a particularly enthusiastic bounce. “The turtles!” she keeps yelling, unaware of of his pain. “It’s Sunday! Let’s go see the turtles!”

Trying to explain to her that the aquarium doesn’t open until ten is going to be pointless, Woohyun realizes. He takes a breath, and gives Howon a good shake—not that it accomplishes a lot, since he keeps sleeping, or at least pretending that he is.

“All right, Jieunie,” Woohyun says. “But let’s get breakfast first.”

 

\---

 

“It’s a _turtle_! Howonie-oppa, Namu-oppa, look! A _turtle_!

Woohyun tries to shush Jieun, wincing at the way her high voice seems to resound in the enclosed space. Thankfully, being a Sunday means there are other kids around, and although they get a few stares thrown their way no one seems eager to make a scene.

“Jieun-ah,” Howon says, “if you keep screaming, you’re gonna scare it away.”

The next time she speaks her voice is just above a whisper. “Can we get closer?” she asks.

They stay in the underwater tunnel, walking up and down so Jieun can follow the turtles that swim around calmly. One of them hovers in the water for a few seconds, barely a meter away from her face, and Jieun looks so excited that Woohyun wouldn’t be shocked if she started vibrating on the spot. When he turns to Howon to tell him this, Woohyun finds him already staring back, the softest look on his face. The memory of their kisses hits Woohyun like a flash of heat. 

“We can go get more coffee in a bit, if you want,” he ends up saying. They haven’t had the chance to talk about what happened yet, but Woohyun has found himself sneaking glances at Howon more often than not throughout the morning. “You must be tired.”

“It’s not like you slept longer than me,” Howon says.

“Since when is this a competition? And who’d be the winner? Whoever’s more exhausted?”

“I don’t know, but that just sounds like. You know—Life.” 

“Adulthood,” Woohyun chuckles back. “C’mon, Jieunie,” he adds, holding out his hand for her. “Let’s keep going.”

Jieun’s fingers are warm against his palm. “Can’t we go back to see the manatees again?” she asks.

Woohyun blinks, surprised. “You didn’t stop earlier when we walked past their tank.”

“But!” She blushes, turning a dark shade of red. “I wanted to see the turtles first,” she mumbles.

“Do you want to start from the beginning and see everything again?” Howon asks, guiding her towards the door.

“No! Just the manatees,” Jieun insists. “They are cute.”

“Our Jieunie likes them more than the turtles now,” Woohyun teases her.

“I do not!” she protests, with all the offended conviction she can muster. “I still like turtles more!”

“Oh? Then we don’t need to go back,” Howon says, stopping all of a sudden and turning around. “C’mon, Woohyun-ah, didn’t you want to see the jellyfishes?”

“Noooo, Howonie-oppa! You’re being mean!”

“Don't yell, Jieunie. Howonie-oppa is just kidding—right, Howon-ah?” Woohyun says. “C’mon, sweetheart.” 

There’s a small crowd gathered in front of the Mammal Village, watching while one of the aquarists feeds lettuce leaves to the manatees. Howon manages to find a spot for them to stand, keeping a hand on Jieun’s shoulder so she doesn’t end up crushed; Woohyun stays next to him, close enough to feel the warmth of his body. 

The manatees spin around the tank in slow circles, munching on their lunch and nudging the carer with their snouts. One of them swims towards the glass and smooshes its face against it; Jieun squeals happily, clapping her hands over her mouth. The feeding itself lasts a little under ten minutes, but Jieun is absolutely charmed, skipping along the tank and craning her neck to see the manatees better. Howon walks by her side, bending towards her whenever she speaks; Jieun holds onto the leg of his shorts. 

“It’s good to be here, don’t you think?” Howon says when he and Jieun go past Woohyun again.

“Yeah,” he agrees, falling into step beside them. He feels completely at peace. “It is.”

 

\---

 

“She’s out like a light,” Howon whispers in wonder.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Woohyun says back, dimming the little lamp by Jieun’s bed. “She definitely exhausted herself earlier.”

She’s fast asleep, her long hair spilling all over the pillow, and she’s clinging to a stuffed toy shaped like a sea turtle that looks massive in her tiny arms—Jieun fell for it at the gift store of the aquarium, and Howon bought it when Woohyun wasn’t paying attention. As presents go, Jieun was much more enthusiastic about the toy than she had been about Howon’s offer to smuggle an actual turtle into the apartment, the day she came to stay with them.

“I was looking forward to reading her a story again,” Howon says, color raising to his face. “Since I wasn’t here for the last two times.”

Woohyun hums. “Look at you,” he says, sliding his arms around Howon and leaning into him. “You’re so soft for her.”

“Look who’s talking,” Howon replies, hugging him back and kissing his temple. 

“Is it weird that I just want to stay here and stare at her? Am I being creepy?”

“Maybe a little? I understand the feeling, though.” 

“Wow. Thanks, Howon-ah,” Woohyun deadpans.

Howon just keeps talking. “We could—” he gestures to the floor— “sit here for a while and be creepy together. If you want to.”

Woohyun beams at him, feeling his own face scrunch up in a smile. “You’re serious?”

“I missed spending time with her, yesterday and on Friday,” he says simply, shrugging. “I missed you, too.”

There’s no way Woohyun is going to say no to him now. “Let’s do that, then.”

They move the carpet against the wall so they aren’t sitting directly on the tiles; Howon bends his knees and wraps his arms around them. “I like this,” he says after a while. “I really want this,” he continues when Woohyun doesn’t reply right away. “With you.”

Woohyun inhales deeply, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment. Howon doesn’t always put everything he feels into words, so when he does it’s absolutely earth-shattering. “This week, I realized—This is what I want. You. A family.” He licks his lips. “And I already have that. I really can’t think of my family without also picturing you there.”

“ _Fuck_ , Hyunnie.” Howon’s voice wavers. He reaches between them and takes Woohyun’s hand into his, holding it tight. “That reminds me—Your mom sent me message earlier asking me to tell you we’re all supposed to have dinner together tomorrow.”

“What—” Woohyun turns to Howon, frowning in confusion. “Why didn’t she tell me directly?”

“Because you weren’t answering her texts?”

That makes Woohyun stop and think for a moment. “Oh. My phone ran out of battery while we were at the aquarium.”

“Makes sense,” Howon says. “How many pictures did you take?”

Woohyun laughs. “A lot.”

Howon eases his grip on Woohyun’s hand, tracing random patterns on the palm and over the inner skin of his wrist. “You were the one to move in here,” he says. “But you took me to meet your parents, your brother and sister-in-law, your niece. You made sure I wasn’t alone, when I couldn’t go back to Busan to visit my own relatives. You’re—”

Jieun sighs and rolls onto her back with a rustle of fabric. Both Howon and Woohyun freeze, waiting to see if they’ve woken her up, but after a few beats of silence it becomes obvious that she’s still sleeping.

“Two more days,” Woohyun whispers. “Then Boohyun-hyung and Jiyoung-noona will be back.”

“I’ll miss our little turtle expert,” Howon says fondly. “You know—your mom also told me how Jieun reminds her a lot of you at the same age.”

“My mom is biased.”

“Your mom knows you better than anyone,” Howon replies promptly. Woohyun groans. “Jieun’s shy, but also passionate about the things she likes—Just like you. And she has the exact same smile as you, Woohyunie. D’you know—Do you have any idea how it feels whenever you two grin at me at the same time?”

“Howon-ah,” Woohyun says, stunned.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Howon mutters, and then he’s leaning in and kissing Woohyun, closed-mouthed and tender, barely more than a brush of lips.

“I think—We’re definitely on the same page about this. Us,” Woohyun says when Howon pulls back slowly. He looks at Jieun again, wrapped around her turtle; then at Howon, backlit by the lamp, his dark hair haloing his face. He runs his thumb over Howon’s left cheekbone, noting how tired he looks. “We can go to bed,” he says gently. “You should have a good night of rest, especially after this week.”

Howon laces their fingers together again, holds him tighter. “Maybe,” he says. “But let’s stay here for a little longer, first. After all,” he adds, resting his forehead against Woohyun’s, “this is exactly where I want to be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tayo the Little Bus is an actual South Korean animated series; if anyone is curious about it, it’s available on YouTube.
> 
> The International Chopin Piano Competition (or Chopin Competition) is a piano competition held in Warsaw, Poland. It was initiated in 1927 and has been held every five years since 1955.
> 
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGSZPRk6aXA) is the song Woohyun plays for Jieun.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> (PS: special shout-out to K, who read this story along the way, and was incredibly nice and helpful <3)


End file.
